Recurrence
by MEM-SEV
Summary: The duplicate Doctor finds Pete's world different to what he expects, and discovers that he is more human than he first thought. Prequel to Remembering.
1. Chapter 1

The fading groan of the Tardis engines echoes across the Norwegian beach for a long while. No one is quite ready to break the silence, especially not the duplicate Doctor. He had known that there would be a feeling of loss, but he hadn't quite been prepared for the aching pull at his mind so very reminiscent of the first time he had been stranded, had been cut off from his people, but deeper. There is only a tiny piece of coral in his pocket, not yet old enough to have a mental presence, and the sheer quiet in the place where Old Girl had been is almost more than he can hide.

He does hide it, for his own sake, and for Rose's as well. He hides it, because he is mostly human now and humans don't feel that way he doesn't think. He needs to be human now, for Rose, he owes her that.

"So, should we get moving already?" Jackie breaks the silence, her voice a bit grating in the silence, but still a welcome distraction.

He turns to face her, only remembering that Rose is attached to his arm as her weight nearly makes him tip over. He steadies her with a warm smile, then turns the same smile to Jackie. He doesn't get a word in.

"I've had Pete keep an eye out for us, so he should be on his way by now, probably in one of those stupid bleedin' airships of his, I swear I am never getting used to those things." Jackie continues, turning and grabbing her daughter off of him and dragging the girl after her towards a group of huts in the distance.

"If he hasn't, I'm sure the TORCHWOOD section here will lend us some transport, mum." Rose says reassuringly while throwing an arm over her mother's shoulder. The blond throws a bright smile at The duplicate Doctor and gestures for him to follow them.

He hesitates for a moment, and looks back to where the Tardis had stood, before turning and jogging after them. He isn't exactly pleased to be going anywhere near TORCHWOOD, but he reminds himself that he doesn't know this version, the version that has the Tyler's. It'll surely de better than the version from his own world, he tries to bolster himself.

"Too bad you didn't duplicate your ship as well, it'd be much quicker." Jackie calls over her shoulder sounding put out to have to walk rather than just slipping through space.

The duplicate Doctor catches up, feeling disturbingly out of breath, and grins cheekily at the older blond. "Well, not yet, but I do have a seed to grow one, so someday." He tells her, stuffing his hands in his suit pockets and raising his face to the sky as he walks with them, trying to conceal exactly how hard he is breathing. This human thing isn't half hard.

Rose stops up abruptly, causing The duplicate Doctor to have to stop up before he walks right into her. She's turned to look at him with an expression of disbelief and glee that he can't help but return.

"We'll have a Tardis, really?" The young blond sounds so excited, she's practically jumping in place. He can't help but remember how charming he's always found her innocent enthusiasm.

"Not right away, it might take years before she's old enough to take a proper form, and she might never have the same functionality that my Old Girl had. I'm not really an engineer, you know." He tries to explain, not wanting to get her hopes up.

Jackie rolls her eyes from slightly further along than Rose and grabs a hold of her daughters purple jacket, giving it a good yank.

"Alright, you two, can you wait with discussing this until we're somewhere warm? This isn't Hawaii, you know." She tells them irritably as she drags her daughter further along. The duplicate Doctor shares another grin with

Rose, who is walking backwards with a delighted smile on her face, before he jogs up to walk beside Jackie.

Jackie pulls out a blank black card key when they reach the first of the small plain looking bungalows, and swipes it across a card reader by the door. It beeps and the door clicks open. Seeing The duplicate Doctor's surprised expression, she starts to explain as they enter the anonymous beach house.

"When you went to say goodbye to Rose, TORCHWOOD bought up a few of these bungalows in case we needed to come back here for any reason. There's been a bit of rift activity here, not like in Cardiff but a bit."

"Oh," he replies, a bit nonplussed by the reminder. He needs to get used to that, isn't he, working with his old nemesis of terrestrial origin.

"So, you were rather cosy with that Donna, weren't you?" Rose asks as she pulls of her jacket and throws it over a chair by the small tea kitchen. He is a bit amused to recognise a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Well, yeah. She's my best mate, or his really since he's the one who made the memories, but lets not make that distinction, shall we? she did also help create me; she's a bit like my mother, really." He explains, looking around the den. It has a nice view of the bay, he'll give it that, but doesn't have much else going for it. He thinks about it for a moment, idly noting the cessation of noise behind him with nary a thought.

"My mum, yeah, that's Donna, has a heart the size of a sun. She'd be a great mum. I'm half of her, half of dear old Dad." He says without much thought to how Rose might take that bit of news. "Huh, I'm sort of my own dad, how trailer-park." He murmurs with a slight smile and turns back to face the kitchenette.

Rose and Jackie are both looking at him as if he's lost his mind.

"What do you mean, half of her?" Rose asks after a moment of awkward silence. He tilts a bit on the balls of his feet, then shrugs.

"Well, it isn't like Time Lords are like lizards, you know, we can't just grow new Time Lords from bits of lobbed off a body." He says with a bewildered smile.

"She started the process of my creation by adding her own DNA and bio-energy field to the tank the original specimen was kept in. I got my humanity from her, and most of her memories as well, sort of." He pauses as a thought strikes him.

"You know, if I get my GCSEs I could probably do quite well as a temp." He says with a delighted grin, mind off somewhere in the future. He doesn't really intend to be a temp, but the thought strikes him as incredibly funny, running around from place to place, solving their problems, except this time it would be paper-work related problems instead of alien problems.

"You want to be a temp?" Rose asks him with a look of utter bewilderment, half way laughing but also a bit horrified.

Jackie, who had seemed just as bewildered at his words, turned and whapped Rose on the arm. "There's nothing wrong with temping, you lady, and don't you forget it." She exclaimed, sounding exasperated. It took The duplicate Doctor a moment to remember that Jackie had also worked a a temp before becoming the wife of a billionaire.

"Though, I do agree with Rose, you aren't going from a super-smart alien doctor to a temp, don't be stupid." She continued on, turning her attention to The duplicate Doctor with motherly frown that made him feel all warm inside.

"Well, alright, Jackie, mother knows best after all." He replies with a grin and hurries over to sweep her in a hug, swinging her from side to side gently. She giggles gamely, and slaps lightly at his arms until he sets her down.

"Well, aren't you in a good mood then." She says and ruffles his hair, and he finds that yes he is. HE has a whole new lease in life, and perhaps it is the Donna Noble in him, but all he can see are possibilities. For the first time he knows what ambition feels like, and looking at the Tyler's he knows who he want to build this new life with.

In the back of his mind, something twinges and throbs, but he is too human to realise what it means. Part of him is bleeding sluggishly in tune to the single heart, thoughts and memories seeping gently away so slowly he can't notice.

It takes Pete two days to arrange a secure transport from the bungalow back to London. The duplicate Doctor is somewhat disconcerted to realise that when they say 'London', what they mean is the TORCHWOOD ONE Headquarters at Canary Wharf, where he hasn't been since the battle that had originally cost him Rose.

He walks through the doors to the tall sleek building on the heels of Jackie, trying not to let it get to him and shivering slightly against the early morning chill. He still hasn't gotten used to the way this mostly human body responds to stimuli.

Pete Tyler meets them at the reception desk, arms wide and a large smile on his face, a small dark-haired boy clutching at his trouser legs.

"Jacks, Rose!" he calls out and pulls the blonds into his arms, before turning to The duplicate Doctor, "and The Doctor. I certainly wasn't expecting to see you." He says, a clear question in his voice. The duplicate Doctor is surprised that Jackie hasn't filled her husband in on his presence, but grins and shakes Pete's hand enthusiastically.

"Not quite The Doctor, more like his half-human-son-with-all-his-memories." He explains as he slaps Pete's shoulder. He's always liked Pete, and the easy acceptance that he extends to The duplicate Doctor reminds him why.

"Oh, what shall we call you, then?" Pete asks, throwing an arm over Jackie's shoulders and pulling her in to his side.

The duplicate, and Rose it looks like when he glances at her, is taken aback by the question, the thought of taking an actual name hasn't occurred to him at all. Unexpected as the question is, a name pops out of his mouth without pause.

"Noble. I'm thinking Terrence Noble, if that's alright. Terry for short." The name is one of Donna's favourites, he remembers. The thought of her brings up a well of grief, something that has been growing since the Tardis left them on the beach, but he pushes it down. It might not be his mum naming him, but he thinks she would have liked it just the same.

Pete simply nods and gestures for them to precede him into the elevator. "Right, Terry it is. We'll have some paperwork made up for you, should be finished by the end of the day."


	2. Chapter 2

The Tyler estate is much bigger than Terry expects it to be. He stares at it out the window as they drive up, completely taken aback, which he shouldn't be. He has memories of this place, he's been here before, if not in this body. Still, the estate seems much larger than he expects.

"Hey, you alright?" Rose asks from beside him and places a hand on his knee. She's been doing that a lot, touching him. He's sure that is a good thing, but part of him is a bit uneasy at the constant contact.

"Wizard," he says with a smile and a nod, then pats her hand awkwardly. This is usually easier, interacting with Rose, or it was. Surely being human shouldn't interfere with that at all. It should be easier now that they are the same species.

"So!" he exclaims and opens the door just as what appears to be a footman goes to open it for him. He steps out with a smile and confused nod at the hesitant man in uniform, and walks over to stand slightly in front of the car to have a better look at the estate.

"Wizard? You say wizard now, do you?" Rose laughs as she gets out of the car to join him.

Terry throws a startled glance at her. He's always said 'wizard', hasn't he, he thinks to himself.

"Well, yeah, why not? It's a good word!" He exclaims with a shrug, then shrugs again to adjust the way the jacket is resting on his shoulders. Clothes feel a bit weird and numb with only human senses. He can't even make out the grain and weave of the shirt he's wearing.

Rose smiles that puzzled smile she usually uses when he's done something unexpected.

"Alright, wizard then, Doctor."

"Terry," he corrects her absently, still looking at the grand house with trepidation.

"What?" Rose asks him from right next to him, then leans heavily against his side and rests her chin on his shoulder.

"My name is Terry, remember?" he reminds her again, a slightly silly smile on his face as he looks into her eyes. She has such lovely eyes for a human. No, can't think like that, he's mostly human too. She has lovely eyes.

"What, I thought that was just for your papers?" she asks him and wraps her arms around his waist rather tightly. He throws an arm around her and tilts them playfully.

"Names are important. It's one of the first thing a Time Lord does, you know, choosing a name." He explains as he makes her laugh, half-twirling her around.

"What, you come out of the womb and give yourself a name?" she laughs and tries to tilt him in retaliation.

"Oh, come on, you two! Save the roughhousing for later!" Jackie yells impatiently, then mutters, "preferably where I don't have to look at it." Terry isn't sure they're meant to hear that part.

He shrugs, playfully half-lifting Rose along with the movement, and follows Jackie and Pete, half-carrying Rose under his arm. Tony runs along and gets to the door first, opens it and runs in yelling in childish glee.

#

He has an office. It's in an out of the way corridor, on the level just above the basement. The door is plain black with a frosted window straight out of a noir film, with flakes of black plastic that is probably the remains of whatever name used to be on it.

"Right, this is you, I'm farther up, fourth floor, but I'm hardly ever there. I have a meeting with Pond, so I have to run cause she's fierce, see ya later!" Rose says even as she turns and hurries off down the corridor.

He looks after her in surprise. Terry honestly hasn't expected to be abandoned on his first day at the office. Well, he thinks to himself, clearly Rose has a great deal of faith in him. It's a compliment.

It's strange to have an office, especially as he isn't entirely sure what he is supposed to be doing. Perhaps not just standing outside the door like an idiot.

He reaches for the door, and only just barely manages to jump out of the way as the door slams open.

"Whoever thinks it's funny to hover outside my door," the voice echoes in the relatively small corridor probably clearly audible at both ends.

Terry rubs at the back of his head where it met the wall. He may have a lump forming there, he thinks.

"Oh," the voice starts again less loudly, rather than continue yelling. "Are you alright, then?"

Terry blinks rapidly, and tries to dismiss the slight ringing in his ears.

"Yeah, I'm good." He replies, quite pleased that he sounds reasonably normal, no squeak at all.

A silver curtain of hair dips into view, followed by a wrinkled face wearing a frown.

"Are you quite sure? Perhaps you should head to the infirmary to have that checked." It is a woman at an indeterminable age over fifty that stands bent over him.

The blue pinstriped suit looks rather like the one Terry is wearing, which makes him smile in spite of the throbbing of his head.

"Nice suite, good style." He quips, rather than answer her question. He isn't eager to visit any TORCHWOOD infirmary.

The womans frown deepens, and she offers a hand to him, presumably to help him up. He grabs it and leavers up off the floor, only to find that he stands nearly an inch shorter than the woman.

"Young man, I am taking you to the infirmary to get that looked at. Can't be too careful around here." She says sternly, grip still firm on his hand.

"No, no, it's fine, I've had lots worse than that. I'm a bit- clumsy, I suppose you could say." He explains hurriedly as he reclaims his hand and dusts off his suit.

The frown doesn't let up, but she relents.

"Right, now were you hovering by my door for a particular reason, Mr?" she asks, voice firm, bordering on unfriendly.

"Oh, Noble, Terrence Noble, pleased to meet you!" Terry hurries to introduce himself, wiping off one hand on his suit and offering it for a shake.

She looks at it with some distaste, then gives him perhaps the firmest handshake he's ever had.

"You may call me Miss Howell," she says a bit sharply, then releases his hand after a single pump.

Terry smiles brightly at her. "Lovely to meet you, Miss Howell, absolutely lovely." He says, then continues before her frown can get anymore severe, "I was told I'd be working from this office, but perhaps there's been a mistake?" he ends on a high note, and starts to turn the way Rose had gone.

"Ah," Miss Howell says, as if realising something, then clamps a hand on his shoulder before he can go anywhere.

"You're the new assistance that Mr Tyler decided I need. Very well," she says, and steers him with surprising strength through the door and into the office. "We'll start with a tour."

#

Terry is a bit turned around by the time he gets to the downstairs cafeteria. Miss Howell has given him an hour to have something to eat, but he's already wasted a quarter of that just looking for the right room.

The downstairs cafeteria is nearly deserted, but then it is a few hours past lunch so he supposes that must be normal. There is a single person behind the counter, sitting by the register and reading what appears to be a textbook of some kind. He's too hungry to really take much note, so he hurries to grab a tray and load it up with some sandwiches and a jello cup.

It is rather similar to school food, he thinks with a fond smile, hadn't he and Rose once...? Or was that Martha, he thinks with a slight downturn of the lip. He can imagine both of them in a school environ, but at once he isn't entirely sure which is an actual memory. Had he been in a school with both, or was it just Martha?

"I need your meal card," the voice of the cashier snaps him out of his thoughts.

"Meal card?" he replies, then suddenly it strikes him. "Oh, MEAL card, of course!" he stuffs his hand into his pocket to get the small piece of plastic that Miss Howell has given him. He only fumbles slightly with it, and doesn't drop it as he hands it over. Not that clumsy, he thinks to himself with some small sense of smug victory.

"You're new." The cashier says, stating the obvious before he can open his mouth. He wonders if he can read his mind.

"No, I can't read your mind, it's pretty obvious." The cashier replies, then smiles at Terry's dumbfounded look. He swipes the card through a machine as Terry stands there gaping, then hands it back. "I wouldn't worry about it, around here that isn't a stupid thought to have." He says, then turns back to his textbook in clear dismissal.

Terry gives the man a long look, but shakes it off. Mustn't make too much of a spectacle of himself on his first day, that was what Jackie had told him this morning and he wasn't going to disappoint her by interrogating the lunchroom staff.

He picks up his tray and turns, only to nearly walk straight into another person right beside him.

"Oh Sorry!" he exclaims, and barely stops himself from dropping his tray.

The woman he's nearly run in to doesn't respond past raising one single russet eyebrow in derision, then sweeping past him to talk to the cashier.

"Rogers, I'll need you to prepare a snack tray for meeting room 17, to be delivered in an hour. No nuts, no dairy, otherwise standard delegation fare." She says matter-of-factly with absolutely perfect elocution.

Terry stares for a moment, a bit bowled over by her brisk manner, and perhaps also by the brilliant shade of hair she wears in a tight bun.

"Right, that won't be a problem, Agent Pond." The cashier replies, noting down the order on a pad. Terry realises he's staring, and turns away. He wouldn't admit it, but he's a bit intimidated by Agent Pond, so he makes himself a bit small as he walks to a table to eat.

#

"Mr Noble," Miss Howell says in such a way that Terry knows he's done something to annoy her.

"Mr Noble, while I do appreciate the initiative that you've shown, I'd rather you clear these things with me first before implementing them." Miss Howell tells him from behind her desk. She looks up at him, as if she is used to looking over the rim of glasses that she clearly doesn't wear, and it takes a moment for Terry to realise what she is referring to.

"Oh, you mean that thing in the files," he starts, sitting straighter in his chair, directly across the large desk from hers.

"Yes, Mr Noble, I mean the files."She responds before he can say any more. He rather would like it if she would stop saying his name every single time she addresses him.

She pauses for a moment, then stands up and walks over to the file cabinets that line the walls of their office, picking out several files.

"Would you care to tell me why you have filed 'Jones, 14-03-64, DXL' under the letter B, with a doodle attached?" she asks, and hands him one of the files.

It's a file he'd put away one evening last week, and apparently he'd been tired as there is a post-it note in circular gallifreyan on it that says 'bivalvia, possibly tridakna gigas off-shoot?'

HE opens the file, and is somewhat dismayed to realise that there is nothing in it that has anything to do with bivalves, let along tridacna gigas off-shoots.

"Well, Mr Noble?" Miss Howell asks after a period of silence. For a moment, all Terry can feel is the beat of his single heart speeding up, but he pushes it away.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Howell, I honestly can't remember why I've done that." Terry apologizes, still refusing to acknowledge the gnawing fear that is starting to take root. He's a Time Lord, he doesn't just forget, he thinks to himself, before stopping up in shock. No, he isn't a Time Lord, he's human now.

Miss Howell actually looks concerned when he looks up to try to explain his blunder.

"Are you certain you aren't ill, Terrence?" she asks, and gently touches the sleeve of his suit, careful not to make contact with his skin. Miss Howell doesn't like touching people, Terry's realised a while ago.

"I'm fine, I must have been very tired, is all." He says with a reassuring smile at his superior.

She frowns disapprovingly at him. "Now, you must look after yourself, Mr Noble," she starts, and Terry is just a bit disappointed that she's back to using just his last name,

"Simply because you're Lady Friend is on assignment does not mean that you should work yourself thin." She lectures, and hands him the rest of the files.

"Go through these again and refile them. Once you're done with that, I insist that you take the rest of the day off and get some rest. I can't have these sorts of blunders in here."

Terry nods reluctantly and gets to work, forcing down the slight panic that is trying to break through. Being Human is terrifying at times, he thinks to himself.


End file.
